Jasmine.... Nobody's Hero??? but wait

Jasmine, I only met you a few hours ago but you have left an impression on my life which I know I will never forget. It was a rainy day in Delta and I can only assume you were walking to the bus stop from your day working somewhere on Annacis Island. You may not be famous like Britney Spears, Sarah Palin or Karissa and Kristina Shannon but, for what it is worth, you deserve a mention in my blog.

A beautiful woman in the prime of your life and I'm sure you had a glint in your eyes as you thought of your plans for the weekend. New to Canada, it seems you did not have a drivers licence, but as I looked at the picture on your citizenship card, your smile shone through as I looked for your birth date so I could tell the 911 operator how old you were. 1978... that would make you 28, far to young to die. Of course this is an assumption based on the tone of the Victims services counsellor from the Delta Police when she called me to see how I was doing.

Being a mere witness to your last moments, I hardly feel worthy of the time she spent calling me, to discuss my feelings on what I saw. I'm sure your family is missing you immensely and I sympathise with their loss. I only knew you for a few minutes which seemed like hours as you lay on the ground looking at those around you with a somewhat grateful look that you had been noticed. Yet, as I look back on those minutes, I feel I have known you for my entire life. The loss I feel is as if you were a long time friend.

Sorry about not seeing you sooner, unfortunately the woman who was driving the car which hit you found it more important to talk on her cell phone only briefly telling us she did not need an ambulance then brushing us off as 3 witnesses to the crash stood around wondering what to do next. From the moment I saw you, minutes turned into what felt like hours as I described the scene in as much detail as I could to the 911 operator. These visions are permanently etched in my mind, however be assured this is not how you will be remembered. Your last few minutes have reminded me of the importance of enjoying every minute of life as if it was the last. Sometimes we have no control over our fate and our life is put into the hands of those who should not be behind the wheel of an automobile.

So as you rest, Dear Jasmine, please rest knowing you have made an indelible mark on my life as well as the lives of the other two who were with you the last few moments of your life. I will never forget the way you looked up at the three of us with as much hope as you could muster for that moment. Once again, I truly apologise for not finding you sooner, perhaps those few minutes would have made a difference, that I will never know. What I do know is, without even trying, you have taught me to cherish every minute, as human existence is nothing more than a collection of minutes, life is what we make of those precious minutes. So yes, you are a Hero.

I could continue on about my anger towards the driver of the car, however be assured I will tell your story as best I can.

Love


Heinz

In memory of Jasmine, 1978 to November 7, 2008


As a day after addition to this post. I have been reading over the comments and watching the stats of this blog for the last few hours. It seems Jasmine has touched the lives of many. From her Brother Jerome, who generously left me his number to talk about the life of his sister, to her many co-workers and friends who have visited and commented on this posting since last night, the visits and return visits are seen as a tribute to life life of Jasmine.
For those who have been reading the posts and comments, please feel free to add your own comments and experiences in knowing Jasmine. Perhaps your words will help her many friends and family members cope with the loss of such a special person. To eliminate spam posts, I do moderate any comments on this blog, so please be patient, your comments will be approved as soon as possible.